Chemistry Canada Research Chair

Tomas joined our department from the University of Florida, Gainesville. His research involves converting aromatic compounds, often considered industrial wastes, into valuable pharmaceutical compounds. This work leads to the manufacture of compounds needed by society, specifically related to analgesic, anesthetic and anti-tumor products — in an environmentally benign way. A Greener Way of Doing Things

No one questions the benefits of most pharmaceutical products. But what about the harmful industrial waste that is created during their manufacturing process? At present, in long synthetic preparations, 100,000 times more weight is generated in undesirable by-products than in the final target. This pharmaceutical waste is costly both for the manufacturer and the environment. We need to find a better way of doing things.

Canada Research Chair Dr. Tomas Hudlicky is tackling the environmental problems associated with pharmaceutical synthesis through the application of “green chemistry.” Green chemistry is based on the belief that chemistry does not need to be at odds with the environment, that it can in fact benefit the environment. It relies on the current efforts being made by scientists to advance the frontiers of chemical synthesis so that the processes have positive environmental effects.

A “green” scientist, Dr. Hudlicky converts pharmaceutical waste into a variety of desirable pharmaceutical compounds. His research is responsible for giving the harmful waste of the past a new life as analgesic, aesthetic and anti-tumour products, specifically compounds used in the treatment of cancer, bio-infection and diabetes.

Canada Research Chair

According to the mission of the program, "The key objective of the Canada Research Chairs program is to enable Canadian universities, together with their affiliated research institutes and hospitals, to achieve the highest levels of research excellence, to become world-class research centres in the global, knowledge-based economy."
Furthermore, the program encourages appointments from outside of Canada to ensure diversity of ideas and providing opportunity for foreign nationals to contribute to Canadian society. Each of our Chairs meet the covenants of the program; they are individuals at the highest level of research excellence in chemistry.